A Hong Kong court rejects a government-requested ban on popular protest song after Google’s defiance

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong judge has rejected a government request to ban the protest song “Glory to Hong Kong” in a landmark decision. Friday’s ruling favored freedom of expression in the city after Google had resisted official pressure to alter internet search results. It was a setback for Hong Kong leaders trying to crush a pro-democracy movement. They have been embarrassed when “Glory to Hong Kong” — written during mass protests against the government in 2019 — was mistakenly played at international sporting events instead of China’s national anthem. But some analysts caution the court’s move doesn’t mean that challenges to how foreign tech giants work in Hong Kong are gone.